Method of and apparatus for treating gases



April `8, 1941. w- E, MOORE 42237,684

mamon or' Ann APPAnATus Fon 'Hummm GAsss Filed July s1, 19:59 s sheets-sheet 1 INVENTOR llfamEMo are 3/M,Mf2m4- April 8 1941 l w.` E. MOORE 2.237.684

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING GASES 26 12p-L97. jpg. 6.

Z3 25d 51a @49 sa 231, 1b A \-l 59.1? INVENTOR 25C 1 mzzmmEMof@ @miga/4, Pm

April 8 A1941# w. E. MOORE 2,237,684

METHOD 0F AND APPARATUS` FOR TREATING GASES Filed July 3l, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 5,

5M Mmwwcw Patented Apr. 8, 1941 v v UNITED STATES PATENT p oI-ElcEl I l METHOD or gus Foa TREAT- intrattiene.:

Corporation, Wilmington, Del., a corporation ot Delaware 1 Application July s1, 193s, serial No. 287,461

lThis invention relates in general to the treatment of gases by bringing :te gases into contact with reagents or materials which alter in some'way the physical characteristics or com- 9 Claims. (Cl. 183.4)

spent alumina maybe reactivated by the con trolled application o! heat, the source of which may be gas. steam, electricity or infsome cases, waste heat from other processes, according to position of the gas or gases so treated, as, for 5 circumstances. The moisture evolved during example, adsorption processes and apparatus, activation is removed by astream oi gas or a The present invention is chieflyconcerned with .vaeuum. After all the moisture has `been re- 6 improvements in adsorbingapparatus and more moved, the-alumina is cooled and is once more -'particularly to adsorption systems and appara.- ready for adsorption. tus for continuous operation in which the adlo One of the objects of the invention resides in sorbent material employed is of a nature which the novel` construction and arrangement of the can be reactivated or revivified by heating. Ad.- Y means for controlling the :dow of dehumidifying sorbents arevwell known which readily adsorb by air and `the now-of reactivated air through the contact 'certain-constituents from a moving l Iadsorber unit so that a relatively fixed output stream of gaseous mixture andwhen saturated l5 of dried air having relatively constant physical with such'constituent can be renewed for re-use properties can be sustained., An important leawby heating. The heating can be conveniently ture resides `irl-'the construction and arrange-` eiiected by means in contact` with. the material ment of the adsorber units and lthe valves lor or by passing hot gases through the adsorbent controlling the now of air through the unit and material, which is .conveniently in granular form. the valves for controlling the ilow of heating or Anadsorber of the nature to .which this incooling nuid through` various portions of the .i vention is particularly applicable removes mois-` l adsorber unit. 'I'he arrangement is such that Yligure :from theiair or other gas by.- the physical the operation is continuous and automatic and process oi' adsorption. 'Iwostreams of airflow .the apparatus` will continue tooperate without through theapparatus continuously. The main S` attention on the part ofl anyone, Iheapparastream ofair--to'be dried. passes through the tus can be adjusted to copewith varied couadsorber.` beds and gives up its moisture to the ditions. t t .l V .y granular-f particles of fthe adsorbent material. l prefer to make myapparatusol rectangular "l'he apparatus `has several beds of adsorbing or square shape, so as to utilize lthe'door area material and the spent beds are reactivated by to the leest advantage., The adsorblng beds are a.. second stream of air while the recently replaced in layers, one above` the other. m activated beds are on they drying l. cycle. This to thev size olthe dryer and are disposed, sothat y second streaml of air is heated to `draw off the between the edges oi' the beds andthe walls of releasedmoisture from the activated alumina or the apparatus, a space willbe lett which is utithe alumina may itself be heated so as to cause 35 lized as air ducts. `The beds are separated physithe moisture to be given up to the vsecond stream cally and baille plates are interposed so as to oi' all'.-v A single valve control system directs and `direct part of the air iiow through one-'bed and controls the air` streams and an associated sysl Vpart ol .the/Mair ow ythrough .the bed` directly tem controls the-heating and cooling of`y the beneath. This arrangement gives agi-eater area adsorbent beds so that the operation is acontinu-n 40 of contacter the air and adsorbent material and supone,- l l diminishes thethicknessonmaterial'through Y My invention is particularly applicableior use which the air must ilow. and consequently lowers in connection with drying and conditioning air l. the resistance of fr the material ,to the iiow of t andwill be described in connection with apparathe air., z v

tus for that purpose.` butV it is to be understoodA 4,5 Oneefof the disadvantages lheretofore experithatlt is of value for the treatment of other encedin apparatus `ofthis nature-lathe diillculty gases as well. I prefer touse activated alumina of'lreeping the degreeof dryness of the treated in granularform as the adsorbent medium, since air relatively constant. Heretofore when the air thisy material-has a very large capacity forl ad to be dried is rstpassedthrough the bed, the `sorbi'ng moisture `due toits extensive surface. 50 bed is at its maximum adsorption capacity. but

l.lifter adsorption has been 'carried out, the moisshortly thereafter.` the adsorption ability is del ture adsorbedcanbe driven off by heat andthe i -r creasedl andthe air is`v noten thoroughly dried, material used again... '1111s.cyc1e canine repeated due to the partial saturation, ot theadsorbent inclennitely1 which obviates the expense and inmaterial; To insure that the.l or the convenience ofchanging the adsorbent. The 55 treated air will not` greatly vary from time to position II;

-' andwhich partment or time during .the operation of the device, I provide apparatus which permits the air to be treated to pass through one full bed and through part of an adjoining bed, while reactivating air is passing through still other beds. The now to each bed is controlled by a port associated there- `with and these ports are successively uncovered or covered so that the open area of the port to an adjoining bed is simultaneously progressively increased, thus decreasing the air iiow to a bed which has been partly saturated and increasing the air flow to a bed which is fresh or less saturated than the bed being cut out. The portions of the fresh beds which are thus cut in from time to time equalize the adsorbing ability of the apparatus so that the 'treated air has relatively constant physical characteristics.

In the drawings I have shown for the purpose of illustration' only the present preferred embodiment of apparatus suitable for the practice of my invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the apparatus;

Figure 2 is a side view partly in elevation and partly in section along the line II-II of Fig- Ure 1i Figure 3 is an end view partly in elevation and partly in section of the apparatus, a portion at the top thereof being omitted .for the sake of clearness;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the top of the apparatus showing the arrangement of the steam and water valvecontrol system andto an enlarged scale; v Y

Figure 5 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation of the apparatus shown in Figure 4;

Figures 6;'1. and 8 are plan views of the rotating member of the air valve, the steam valve, and the water valve. respectively;

Figures 9, .10. and 11 are plan views of the stationary member of the air valve. the steam valve. and the water valve, respectively:

Figures 12, 13, and 14 are plan views of the air valve, the steam valve, and the water valve, respectively, showing the rotating members of each superimposed on the stationary members in dwell position I; .t

' Figures 15, 16 and 1'1 are similar views to Figures 12, 13 and 14 but show the valves in dwell Figure 18 is a flow sheet showing the iiow of air to be treated and reactivating air through the various beds when the valves are in the dwell position I; and

Figure 19 is a view similar to Figure 1li but showing the now in the dwell position 1I.

In the drawings there is shown an apparatus constructed according to my invention for dehumidifying air or other gases. or for extracting one gas from a mixture.I The apparatus is particularly suitable for dehumidii'ying air and will be described in connection therewith.

The adsorber is in the' iorm oi a metal box or casini is divided by vertical partitions I. I. l extend from the top to the bottom of the box and intersect to form' four separate compartments A, B, C, and D. In each combed section there are two horizontally extending beds 1 and l of a suitable material such as activated alumina. The alumina The box ofeachbed-isenclosedinaboxhaving-the side.

ferminoul metal. The beds and bottom or m vertically so imcearespeeedew'i esegesi are spaces between the beds and between the beds and the top and bottom of the adsorber 2. Each .bed is of the same width as its compartment so as to fit closely between the partitions and the adjoining side of the adsorber, but the bed is shorter in length than the compartment so that when the upper bed 1 is in place with the inner end against the partition B, there is a space 9 between the outer-end of the bed and the end wall of the adsorber and when the lower bed 8 is in position with -one end resting against the end wall o! the adsorber 2, there is a space I between the inner end of the bed and the partition 5. The spaces 9 and Iii provide passages for the now of air around the upper bed 1 and lower bed 8, respectively. An inclined zigzag partition of sheet metal II extends along the edges of beds 1 and 8 and diagonally from the outer bottom edge of the upper bed 1 to the innertop edge of the lower bed 8 and from the'partition 4 to the outer side wall of the adsorber.

By this arrangement air passing through the compartment B will be guided and part of the air willilow through the upper bed 1 and part through the lower bed 8' as indicated by the arrows. While only two beds have been illustrated and described in each compartment, it is evident that one or more beds can be provided and where more than one bed is provided the beds and partitions should be arranged so that the air to be treated will ilow equally through each bed. By arranging the beds in this manner, a large surface area is presented to the air to be treated and the thickness of the beds may be kept to such a point that there is not too A much' resistance to the flow of -the air therethrough while insuring that there will be ample contact area for the air with the particles of adsorbent material.

Adsorbent material. on taking up .vapors or gases, rises in temperature due to the heat of adsorption. Most adsorbent materials function more effectively if the temperature is maintained at a fairly low point and for this purpose I pro vide cooling coils of pipe I2 and Il in each of the beds 1 and 8 for removing the heat of adsorption from the adsorber beds and/or ecoling the air on passage therethrough. The coil I2 is connected at the top to a water and steam control system Il, later to be described, and at the bottom to the coil I3. The bottom of the coil I3 runs to a drainage system Il. If desired. acoolingiluidcanbepassedthroughtheseeolla by way of the valve system RI4 or steam or hot water can also be passed through this system by way ofthe valve llsothat thebedsmaybe cooled or heated as desired.

The passage of air through the adsorber unit is controlled by a top valve Il at the top of the unit and a. bottom valve I1 at the bottom of the unit. Both valves are actuated .by a shaft Il p which is centrally located in the box between the I rectangular in plan, the top, bottom` and sides ofwhich are made from metal sheets.-

partitions and extends from the bottom to the' top of the box and beyond to the water and steam control valve system Il, which will later be described. As the valves II and I1 aresimilar to one another, it will sufiice to describe the top valve Il. The top valve' It is made up of a stationary member AIl (Figure 9) and a rotating member 2e (Figure 6) which overlies and is ecncentric with the member Il and is spring urged against it. The stationary member Il has a centrai hub portion 2l through which the shaft Il projects. Four radial-'spokes 2| equally spaced that there 7g apart extend from the hub 2e to the periphen escasas 3 i 22 The spokes have a radial width of about 30' and between the adjoining .spokes there are open spaces or ports 22a, 2lb. 23e, and 23d, extending from the hub to the periphery, the sides of each of whichare about 60 apart.A The member Il is secured to the adsorber box 2 at the top thereof so that the center lines of the spokes 2| lie along the `centerlines of the partitions 3, l. l and l. There are openings in the top of the adsorber unit correspondingfto the ports. 28a. 2lb, 23e and 23d in the stationary member Il, and leading to bed sections A, B, C, and D, respectively.

The rotating member 24 has ahub portion 25 through which the shaft I8 projects and to which the member is secured so as to turn with the shaft. Projecting from the hub 2l to the periphery 26 is a spoke 21 which has an angular width of about 66 and a spoke 28 which has an angular width of about 63. Between the spokesthere is an adsorption port 29 the sides of which are radial and spaced about 143 apart and a reactivation port' 30, the sides of which are radial and spaced about 88 apart.A InFigures 12 and 15 I have shown the top valve I8 in an assembled position, the stationary member I9 underlying the rotating member 2l. It will be apparent trom an inspection of these iigures that either of the spokes 21 and 28 will completely'cover either of the. ports 23a, 23h, 23e and 23d of the stationary member i9 and that the adsorption port 2! is large enough to extend over one complete port, e. s. 2te, and a part of an adjoining port, e. g. ttul, while the reactivation port l0 is large enough to completely extend over one port 23e or over parts ol twoadjoining ports, e. g.`23c and 23d.

Resting on top of the adsorber unit 2 and surrounding the'valve I8 is a sheet metal air chest tl having sheet metal sides and top. In one ot the sheet metal sides is a port 32 through which the air to` 'be'dried is forced by means ol the blower tt. The blower is driven by the motor til.y

Inside the chest 3l and adjacent the top is a chamber tb which is smaller in all dimensions than the chest 3l. The chamber 35 has a port llt into which reactivating air is introduced from the blower tl driven by the'V motor 34. Around the shalt lt which projects through the chest ti and concentric with the shaft is an opening tt in tbe bottom of the chamber t5. A sloping metal duet te connects the opening t8 with the reactivation port tt in the rotating member dit oi the valve it. Theduct 39 is'secured to the rotatins member tt and rotates therewith.

.Through the duct '39 the reactivating air is led to tbe various ports tta, 23h, 23d-or 23d, as the case may be, and at the proper interval inthe circle ot operation the reactivating air passes the chest tl and has a circular opening t8 which is concentric with the center line of the shaft i8. it diret member itt, similar to the member tt, is connected to the rotating member of the valve il and covers the reactivation port therein and leads the oir trom the reactivating port to the opening tt. The arrangement is very similar to the arrauuement described in connection with the `top valve lt. The valves are disposed with respect 75 to and operated by the shaft Il. so that the various ports of the stationary member of both valves are in line and the rotating members have their corresponding ports in line.

Mounted on the top of the chest 35 is the con trol system Il for the cooling water and the steam which is used to cool or heat, as the `case may be. the beds 'I and I by means of the coils l2 and il, embedded therein. The admission of water to the coils i2 and i3 is controlled by a water control valve il and the admission of steam to the coils is controlledby a steam control valve 46.

The steam control valve Il consists of a steam chamber I'I to. which steam is led, at a suitable pressure from a suitable source, by a pipe 4B and a stationary member and a rotating member .50. The stationary member I! (see Figure l0) has four ports lla, Bib, blc, and Bld equiangularly and equi-radially disposed about the center of the member, which ports are connected to the heat exchange coils of th'e compartments A, B, C'and D, respectively. 'Ihe rotating member or disk B0. see Figure 7, has a steam port 52 which is annular in shape, the ends of which are about 90 apart and the port 62 is concentric with the ports bla, Nb, Sic, and Bld ofthe stationary member t! andthe radial distances of the centers of the port t2 and the ports Bla, Bib, Mc', and tid are equal. The members 49 and 50 are concentrically disposed, relative to each other, so that upon rotation of the member 50, relative to the member t9, the ports bla, Bib, Ble, and tid 4are covered or uncovered depending on the relative position of the ports, see Figures 13 and 14. The rotating member t0 is concentrlcally mounted on and rotated by the shaft 53. The abutting' is urged upwardly by the spring M, whichv is in-V terposed between the top of the shaft i8 and a sprocket wheel 5i which is secured to the shaft 53.

The water valve t5 is constructed similarlyto the steam valve it which has just been de scribed. Water irornv a suitable source and at a suitable pressure and temperature is led to the .valve by the pipe tt. The supply of water to the coils iii and it is controlled by a stationary member tl similar to disk te and a rotating member tu; which is somewhat similar to the rotating member tt. lil has tour ports tta, btb, ttc, and tad which are armi-diaria and equi-radially disposed wi rt to the center ol the disk tl. Pipes lead the water at the desired temperature from the ports ttor, btb, ttc, and dtd to the coils il and it of the compartments d, it, C,and D. e rotating elisir tt has a port tt which is some what similar to port tt ol member t0, but the port td extends through an anale of itil so that the port tu. may entend over two full ports, e. a.

ttc, td (Figure itl or over one i'ull port tud and two ports tts, ttc, one on each of the full port tud (Iiicure it). lilie disk td is rotatably secured to and rotatably supported by the shaft tl which is ,resiliently urged upward by the sprintf t2 supported on the bracket ti. A sproclret wheel tt is secured to the shaft tl, and

is connected to the sprocket wheel tti by a chain llt so that the two sprocket wheels are driven synchronously and in the same direction. y

The water orateurs, as the case may be, is led trom the portatili,` tib, tlc, and tid and tta, tbl, staand ttul oi the valve device il to The stationary member each of the compartments A, B, C and D by the pipes 86a; 88h, BSc, and 83d, respectively, one to each compartment. Each of the pipes is connected by the manifold Bla, die, tlc, and Bld to 88 is driven anti-clockwise by means of the.

driving arm 69 on the speed reducer lil, which is inturn driven by the motor Sd by means of a belt 1i. 'I'he Geneva wheel ed also rotates the sprocket wheel Bil by means of the pegs 'l2 which make a sliding rit .with the Geneva wheel Il.

The apparatus is so designed that the various rotating valve members are moved step by step in'unison by the operation of the Geneva wheel el toeight separate dwell positions I through VIII spaced apart. The length of the dwell period is determined by the conditions to be met, Successive portions of fresh compartments are at each interval subjected to the ow of the air to be treated. and the iiow to the partially saturated compartments is being cut of! at the same time, while the compartments which have the adsorbent saturated with moisture are being reactivated. The air which has flowed through assesses cycle. since port 13b is fully opened. Steam is being admitted to the coils I2 and i3gin beds 1., and compartment B,` since the` steam, -port' 33h; which leads to compartment B lszuncovered.;v Cooling water at -full ow is being supplied to the coils in the compartment D, the water port 58d.` being fully opened and water'at yreduced how is being supplied to the coils I2 land I3 in compartments A and C, since the-water ports 59a and s9c are partly opened' (Figure 14).

In the dwell positionII the port 23d leading to the bed section D is fully'opened to the dow of air ton adsorption and the port 23a leadinguto the compartment A is partly open, allowing vand hic are partially opened. Cooling water will pass at full force through the coils i2 and i3 in the compartments D and A since the ports 52d and 59a are fidly open. 'I'he following list shows the iiow cycle of the air-to be treated, the reactivating air, the cooling water and the heat the fresh compartment and theair which has-30 medium (steam) for the variousdwell positions.

plgsi'iln Compartment A Compartment B Compartment C Compartment l) I No air ow Full reactivation.. Partial adsorption Full adsorption. Reduced water ow Ful Reduced water ow Full water ow. II Partial adsorption Partial reactivation Full adsorption. Full water ilow Reduced steam fiow... Full water ilow. III Full adsorption. Full reactivation Partial adsorption.

Full water iiow. Full steam ilow. Reduced water dow. IV rull adsorption. Partial adsorption Partial reactivation Partial reactivation.

Full water iiow Full water ow Y. Reduced steam iiow Reduced steam flow. V Partial adsorption Full adsorption. No sir il Full reactivation.

Reduced water ow Full water dow- Reduced water ilow.. Full steam ow. VI Partial reactivation. Full adsorption. Partial adsorption Partial reactivation.

Reduced steam flow Full water ow. Full water iiow Reduced steam ilow. VII Full reactivation. Partial adsorption Full adsorption. No air flow.

Full steam iow Reduced water iow. Full water iiow Reduced water flow. V1Il.. l Partial reactivation Partial reactivation. Full adsorption Partial adsorption. Reduced steam ow Reduced steam iiow. Full water ow Full water flow.

ments mingle and.- are discharged through the duct 42, with a relatively constant moisture content.

The dwell positions for air in description are indicated on the Figure 12 by the Roman numerals I through VIII. It will be observed that these numerals run anti-clockwise. A small arrowhead has been shown on the periphery of the rotating member 24. (Figure 12) to indicate the position of the rotating members in the operating cycle. Thus Figures 6, 9, and 12 show the relative positions` of the ports in the rotating member 24 and the stationary member i9 of the valve I6 in the dwell position I; Figure i3 shows the relative positions of the ports of the stationary member M and the rotating member SI of the steam valve s6; Figure 14 shows the relative position of the ports of the stationary member 51 and the rotating member Se of the water valve 45. all in dwell position I. In the dwell position I the beds in compartment D are fully opened to the ilow of air for adsorption. since port 23d is fully-opened; the]` compartment C is also-partly open to air for adsorption, since port llc is partly opened: compartmentl is on From a consideration of the cycle of operation set forth in the above table. it will be seen that adsorption is taking place in 4and there are parallel streams of air to be treated owing through the beds of two adjoining compartments at all times. It is well known that the adsorber beds become saturated after a period of adsorption and the rate of adsorption drops so that the amount of moisture in the air output rises, but before this rise can assume any significant value,

4 a new adsorber component is partially cut in,

the cooling cycle, just preparatory to being cut l in for adsorption, since port 23a, is closed; andthe compartment B is on thefull reactivation which keeps the variation in the moisture content of the treated air output at a. minimum. At the time of adsorption the beds in adsorption are cooled by the water flowing through the coils in those beds, since most adsorbent material functions moreeii'ectively if the temperature thereof is kept fairly low. It will be observed that the flow of water to the beds is proportional to the dow of air to be treated. When a sed is on full adsorption. the water through the coils of that bed is in fun yflow and when the bed is cn partial aasorption, the flow of water through that bed is also partial. The circulation of the water may also serve to lower the temperature of the bed and consequently of the treated air. As soon as the passage of adsorption air to a compartment is cut oi, the steam ilow is established through the coils in that compartment in reduced volume and reopened, and

position E. 'lhe air to-he activating air in reduced volume is passed through the beds. This will be readily appreciated by comparing Figures 12, 13, and 14 with Figures l5, 16, and 17, respectively. In Figure 15 which shows the valves in the dwell position II, the reactivating vair has just begun to ilow at reduced volume to compartment C through the partly opened port 23o and steam is beginning to iow throughthe coils I2 and I3 in the compartment C through the partly opened steam port SIb and continues to flow to the compartment B through the partly closed steam port 5|c. The heating of the beds by the steam passing through the coils aids the 'reactivating process. The rate of flow of the li. desired, the reactivating air and coils could hoth be heated and this valve system ltcan he adapted to control such an operation. It is also apparent that the reactivating air could flow counter to the dow of the air to he treated.

ln Figure lo l have shown dow o1' air to betreated, the dow of reactivating air and the flow of the cooling water through the apparatus, when the valves are in the dwell 'position l (Figures l2, ld and It). e air to ,he dried, urged by the lan 1R, is forced at full `flow through the compartment D since the port ltd is diagrammatically the vvide open, and at partial iiow through the compartaient C, since the port 2te is almost closed.

The reactlvatina air ls shown as being heated by heine passed through the heater l-l before it is drawn through the compartment h, at full iiow liv the exhaust ian F', since the port ttt is Wide open. The beds in compartments il, and D are heine cooled hy water from the vvater header lll". lhe dow ci? vvater through the compartment lo lull, while the flow through the compartniente .d and d is partial, since the port ttc! is vvldeopen, the' rt tto has lust heen partly the port dtd has lust heen partly cloned. 'l'he beds in the compartment il are heine dna cooled by flowing 'Water preparatory to heine' cut in tor treatment of the air dovra The Figure ld, which ldiagrarnrrmtlcally showsA the various hows, when the valves are in the drvell treated, driven by the lan lt, is dowlnr; at iull rate through the com pertinent D and dovv at a partial rate has lust heen established through the compartment d. "lhe leeds E and C are being reactivated hy the dow therethrough oi 'reactivatine air heated by patente through the heater H and drawn through the heds by the exhaust fan Il'. The flow through hoth the compartments B and C is partial, since the porttlb has been reduced and the port tc liao lust heen partly opened. The beds in the compartments .il and D are being cooled by water from the Water header W which is liowlng at full torce through the wide open ports lita and tdci.

The invention has been described as heine particularly useful for the purpose ol dehydratina atmospheric air, auch as for conditioning the air in an enclosed space and for use in operations which reduire substantial dehydration of air, auch as metallurgical operations, hut it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to such application, since it can be used for treating other gases from which one or more constituents are to be removed.

Where 'the word air is used in the claims, it is intended to include mixtures of gases and/or gases and vapors suchas humidifled air.

While I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that my invention is not limited to this embodiment but may be practiced .within the scope of the following claims.

1. The method of treating gas with a reagent contained in aseries of compartments which comprises dividing the flow of gases in such a manner that a portion of the total gas flow is passed through one compartment and the remainder through an adjoining compartment in predetermined relative portions, intermittently advancing the flow vthrough the series of compartments while maintaining said division of flow while reversingfthe proportions of said rate of flow relative' to each other, and maintaining a ilow of conditioning fluid through ducts in said compartments Whichiiow of conditioning fluid is substantially proportional to the rate of flow of gas through .said compartments.

2. The method of treating gas with a reagent contained in a series of compartments which comprises dividing the low of gases in such a manner that a predetermined portion of the total gas flow is passed through one compartment and the remainder through an adjoining compertinent in predetermined relative proportions, intermittently advancing the flow through the series of compartments while maintaining said division of flow and reversing the said rate of flow relative to each other, and maintaining a ilow of iiuid through ducts provided in the said compartments at a temperature which is dinerent lrom the temperature of thel gases and at a rate which is substantially proportional to the rate oi iiow of gas through said compartments. l 3. In apparatus lor treating gases, a plurality of separate treating compartments disposed closely adjacent around a central point, each compartment containing a aas treating material, an opening in each end ol each compartment concentric with said central point through which gas may be introduced to and withdrawn from the compartments, means tor circulating gas through the compartments and valve means for controlling the dorf ol' eases to the compartments. said valve means comprising a stationary dish concentric with said central polnt and havl the rotatable dial: step hy step troni one postu tion wherethe full area oi one opening in the stationary dish and a predetermined portion oi an adJoining opening of the stationary dloir is uncovered, to a position Where n predetermined part of said dislt openina and another odio opening of the stationary dlolr ls uncovered, the rotatable disk main port and a socn ondary port, the main port heine large enough to cover one full opening, and a port only ot one adjoining openingr oi the stationary diste when the valve is in dwell position, the secondary port being large enough to slightly more than cover -one of the disk openings and lacing oppositely f partaient, means for radially disposed with relerence to the main port.

4. In apparatus for treating gases, a plurality of separate treating compartments disposed about a central point, each compartment containing a gas treating-material, an opening in each end of each compartment through which gas may be introduced to and withdrawn from the comcirculating gas through the compartments, valve means for controlling the flow o gases to the compartments, said valve means comprising a stationary disk having spaced openings, one for each compartment, the openings oi the disk and the compartment openings being in register, and a rotating disk concentric with the stationary disk .and in face to face con- Y tact therewith, means for intermittently rotating the rotatable disk step by step from one dwell position to another, the rotating disk having a main port and a secondary port, the main port being large enough to cover one full opening and a. part of an adjoining opening of the stationary disk, fluid circulating ducts in each compartment and valverneans Jfor controlling the iiow of conditioning uid through the ducts of a compartment in proportion to the rate of ow of gases through the aas treating material.

5. In an. adsorber for treating gases, a quadrilateral casing divided into substantially equal compartments by intersectingpartitions, adsorbent material in cach compartment, each com. partment having an opening thereinto, a stationary disk having apertures equally spaced about the center of the disk, each ci which apertures are connected to a compartment opening, a rotatable member in contact with the stationary disk and concentric therewith, means for rotating the rotatable Amember step by step from one dwell position to another, the rotatable member having an adsorption port and a diametrically opposed reactivation port arranged-concentrlcally with the stationary disk apertures and registrable therewith, the adsorption port being large enough to extend over one aperture and a substantial part oi an adjoining aperture, the reactivation port being oi a size substantially large enough to extend from the center line of one stationary disk aperture to the center line ot the next aperture, means for controllingl the passage of temperature conditioning fluids to said compartments, said means comprising a nxed disk having a connection to each compartment anda rotatable disk having means to cover and uncover, at least a portion of the adjoining terminals of two of said connections to control the dow of conditioning uid to ducts in the various compartments, and means for synchronously driving said means and rotatable member. I

6. In apparatus lor treating gases, a plurality ments disposed closely adjacent a central spindle, each compartment con f n. s. bed ci gas 'treating material, each comparent having a radially centrally disposed openins7 thereinto, valve means oontrolllnathe openings, said valve means comprising actationary disk and a rotatable disk, the stationary disk having equal radial the disk, a spoke between each aperture, each of said apertures being,r connected to a compart- Iace contact with the stationary disk, said rotatable disk having an adsorption port and a dlametrically opposed reactivation port, the ports being arranged concentrlcally with the stationary disk apertures, the adsorption port havin?,r a radial width large enough to extend substantially over two apertures and the intervening spoke, the reactivation port being large enough to extend substantially over one' aperture and an adjoining spoke, means for rotating,2 the rotatable member from one dwell position to another dwell position step by step, the dwell positions being equally spaced apart.

7. In apparatus for treating gases, a plurality of substantially equal separate treating compartments disposed closely adjacent a central spindle, each compartment containing a bed ai gas treating material, each compartment having a radially centrally disposed opening thereinto, valve means controlling the openings, said valve means comprising a stationary disk and a rotatable disk, the stationary disk having equal radial apertures uniformly spaced about the center of the disk, a spoke between each aperture, each of said apertures being connected to a compartment opening, a rotatable disk being in faceta face contact with the stationary disk, said rotatable disk having an adsorption port and a diametrh cally opposed reactivation port, the ports being arranged conccntrically with the stationary disk apertures, the adsorption port having a radial width large enough to extend substantially over two apertures and the intervening spoke, the reactivation port being large enough to entend substantially over one aperture and an adjoining spoke, means for rotating the rotatable member from one dwell position to another dwell position step by step, the dwell positions being equally spaced apart, one of the dwell positions being such that the adsorption port extends over a full aperture, a substantial part of an adjoining aperture, the spoke between said apertures. and a substantial part of a second spoke adjoining the full aperture.

8. In apparatus for treating gases, a plurality of substantially equal separate treating compartments disposed closely adjacent a central spindle, each compartment containing a bed of sas treating material, heat exchange coils in said compartments, each compartment having a radiof substantially equal separate treating compartally centrally disposed opening thercinto, valve means controlling the openings, said valve means comprising a stationary disk and a rotatable disk. the stationary disk having equal radial apertures uniformly spaced about the center oi the a spoke between each aperture, each of said apertures being connected to a compartment opening, a rotatable disk being in face to race contact with the stationary disk, said rotatable disk having an adsorption port and a dlametrically opposed reactivation port, the ports being arranged concentrically with the stationary disk apertures, the adsorption port having' a radial width large enough to extend substantially over two apertures, and the intervening spoke, the reactivation over one aperture and an adjoining spoke, means for rotating the rotatable member from one dwell position to another dwell position step by step.

' the dwell positions being equally spaced apart,

apertures uniformly spaced about the center or ment opening, a rotatable disk being in face to i and means operated synchronously with the ro- I.

tate-ble disk for controlling the flow of heat exchanging flulds through the coils so that when a bed is in the partial adsorption'phase, or there is no air ow therethrough a reduced ow of cooling uidls maintained, and while a bed is ln partial reactivation a reduced iiow of heated fluid is maintained, and while in the full reac- "esaese tivatlon phase a full ow of heated fluid is maintained. A

9.v In apparatus'for treating gases,` a plurality of substantially equal separate treating compartments disposed closely adjacent a. central spindie, each compartment containing a bed of gas treating material, each compartment having a `radially centrally disposed opening thereinto,

valve means controlling the openings, said valve means comprising a stationary disk anda rotatable disk, vtlie vstationary disk vhaving equal radial apertures uniformly spaced about the center of the disk, a spoke between each aperture. each of said .apertures being connected to a compartment openlngya rotatable disk belngin tace to tace contact with the stationary disk, said rotatable disk having an adsorption port and adiametrically opposed reactivation port, th ports being varranged concentrically with the stationary disk 15 munication with the other port.

WILLIAM E. 

